Pneumatic flow means for deep wells



Je 10, -1930 J. woLF'E PNEUMATIC FLOW MES FOR DEEP WELLS Filed'march 4,1927 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 .lillllllllllllfilllll :l

`.lume l0, 1930'.

J. A. wQLFE PNEUMATIC' FLOW MEANS FOR DEEP WELLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File'March 4, 1927 155544451415514if.: l il I Patente June 19,1930

Tj QFFICE JOHN A. WOLFE, or TULSA, OKLAHOMA, AssIeNoR F ONE-THIRD TovHonAE c. FITZ- PATRICK, OF INDE1E11ll\l'1')1"}1\1'CE,t KANSAS, ANDONE-THIlRD T0 GUY A. MOST, 0F TULSA,

OKLAHOMA I Application filed March 4,

This invention relates to pneumatic meansy for lifting vor extractingliquids from deep wells, such as-o'il from oil wells, and its ob` jectsare to provide means ofthe aforesaid nature by-whichthe liquid or oilmay bev raised economically, ethciently and safely l from low producingwells and which will act to increase the flow in wells of thischaracter.

The employment of pneumatic means for the purpose set' forth in lieu ofthe usual pumping outfits effects a great saving of time, labor andexpense, and does away withl the ,use of an individual 'power unit,working barrel, sucker rods, hangers, etc. in connection with each well,and besides it is much more convenient and safer of handling.

In connection with the pneumatic means, large compressor unitsmay 'beused for supplying iuidunder high pressure to several wells of a group,or a portable compressor may be employedfor a single well; and air,

lor residuegas, or a mixture of both may be appearing, are attained areillustrated in the accompanying drawings whereinFig.v 1 is averticalsection through a well equipped with one' for-m of my invention, thewell casing" being shown in central section; Fig. 2 is an enlargedcentral vertical section through the lower end of the well casing andincludes the packer, main check-valve, and injector unit Fig. 3-is asectionl on the line 3 3 of Figs. 2 and 4f; Fig. 4'is a horizontalsection on the corresponding line of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 'is a central.vertical section through one of the trap valves; Fig. 6 is a centralvertical section through a modified form of the invention; Fig. 7 is asection on the' line 7,-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a central verticalsection PNEUMATIC. FLOW MEANS :FOR DEP WELLS i927. serial No. 172,614.

through a further modiication; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section onthe'correspondingly numbered line of Fig. 8.

The well casing is designated 1 and at its lower end is equipped withthe usual casing shoe 2 which rests upon the oil sand. A vsectional ilowtube 3 is extended downwardly throu h the casing 1, and the jointbetween vthe tu e andthe upper end-,of the casing is closed, as shown at.4. Compressedairl or other pressure fluid from a suitable source isintroduced into the top of thev casing through aipe..

nserted at suitable intervals in theptlow tube 3 are trap valves 6, oneof which is shown in detail in Fig. 5. This trap valve consists of ahollow body having a transverse bridge wall 7 intermediate its ends,andthe oppou site ends of the body are internally threaded for thereception of the adjacent ends of adb'ridge wall 7 is a central hollowboss 8 on the -threaded upper end of which is screwed a cage 9 for aball check valve 10 that is arranged to Vcooperate with a seat 11 thatis clamped by the cage 49 to the upper end of the boss 8.

Attached to thelower end of the tube 3, through the interventionof acoupling 12 and a sleeve 13, is an injector unit 14 consisting of ahollow cylindrical body provided. intermediate its ends with atransverse bridge wall -15- through which passageways 16 extend;

The body is internally threaded at its upper end for the -reception of'the lower ythreaded end of the sleeve 13, and at its lower end for-application to a tubular check valve body 17.

Onto the upper reduced end of the'body 17 is screwed a cage 18 enclosinga-'ball valvel 19 that cooperateswith a seat 2O that is clamped betweenthe cage and the adjacent end of the body 17. The threaded neck 21l of apacker 22 is screwed into the lower end.

ofthe checkvalve body 17 and the packer engages the `well casing andeects a sealed joint between it and the assembly comprised of theforegoing parts. In other words, it shuts ofi' communication between thebottom 'of the well andthe space between the flow tube 3-and the'fwellcasing 1. port 25 in joining tubesections. Rising from the the bridgewall 15 of the injector unit 'opens laterally through the side of saidunitinto the space just mentioned, and the in ner end of said portextends upwardly and 1s inter- .nally threaded for the reception 0f -thethreaded lower end of an injector nozzle 2.6 which, for convenience ofmanufacture, 1s comprised of three parts, a lower, interme-` diate, andterminal part. The intermediate part, designated 27, has a. transversepin 28 vand servesv as a cage for a check' ball valve 29 that cooperateswith. a seat 30 that 1s set within the upper end of the lower part.''.lhef .terminal part, connected to the intermediate part by areducercoupling 31 constitutes av jet pipe designated 32.-

With theparts constructed and arranged as above set forth and subjectedto what natural rock pressure as may exist within the o il sand, the oilwill rise through-the bore .of the? packer and that of the cheek valvebody 17 past the check valve 19the check val-ve being lifted from itsseat by the pressure' of the rising li uid-upwardly about the injectornozzle 26 into the. tubing 3, and then upon the introduction of pressurefluid (such as compressed air of about two hundred-to six hundred poundsor even higher pressure, depending upon the depth of the well and thequantity of liquid tobe lifted) into the well casing through the pipe 5,thev saine will find its way to the interior of the tubing3throughtheport Y25 and in-V jector nozzle 26, lifting Athe valveV 29from its seatandV issuing from the jet pipe 32 at a high velocity. This will causethe liquid to 'be lifted by thekinetic energyof the pressure fluid..Also, this introduction of the pressure fluid into the column of.l oilwithin the tubin 3 will aerate the oil and reduce the speci c gravity ofthe mixture and this will, of course, enhance the upward flow of oilthat is immediately available to satisfy lifted through the precedingpumping opera- 5 the oil. By the action of the air as it issues from theinjectorl nozzle, a suction is created within the lower portion of thewell which -has the effect of increasing the flow of oil from the oilsand orin other words, creating an artificial flow o'f oil from thesand. -This condition can prevailfwith advantage for -a limitedtimefonlyhowever, as obviously the such suction would gradually be depleted, andwhen thissta'ge 1s reached the pressure fluid is cut off. Upon theshuttin olf ofthe pressure Huid, the main checkva ve 19 will droptoitss'eat, as will also the valve 29 of the injector nozzle 26, thusretaining withinv the lower portion ofthe tubing Ysuch oil as may bepresent therein and'prevent its finding access in the space between thetubing' ,and the well casing. Also, the oil -presentv within the tubingabove the trap valves 6 will be retained at the .elevations to which itwas tion untilthe apparatus is again set in action scribed.

I claim 1s:

by a further injection of pressure iluidinto the well casing." Ifit'were not for thetrap rvalves acting as stated, the liquid wouldsettle down during the periods of inaction into the lower portion of thecasin and this entire body of liquid would again ave to be elevated toits former height before vthe main check valve would open and admitadditional oil from the well. Furthermore, in the ab-` sence of the trapvalves, upon thel recovery ofthe natural rock pressure and the result-'A ant inflow of oil through the check valve 19, the Aweight ofthe entirecontents ofthe flow tube would be imposed `upon the incoming oil andthis .would introducesuch a resistance to'the natural flow'as to greatlyretard it.

In themodicationillustrated in F ign, the cage 18a of the check'valve 19is reduced and'threaded at its upper end lfor the ap- `plicationbf theinternally threaded lower end of an air nozzle 26, and a plurality ofthreaded nipples are screwed in through registering tapped holes in thecylindrical body Maand the nozzle 26a. The principle and mode of.operation is `the same in this form of the invention as in thatabovede- In Fig. 8 fafurther modification is shown in which the neck 21of the packer 22 is screwed directly into the lower end of abody whichis connected, through acoupling 36,

to the-lowerend of the sleeve 13. The body 35 has a bore 37 that opensat its upper end through'an externally threaded boss 38 to which isapplied the internally threaded lower end of a tube 39.V A valve seat 40is applied to the upper en'd of the boss 38, and cooperating with`thisis a main ball check valve 41 that is restrained from undue u wardmovementby a pin 42that extends vlfl() across the tube 39. Ports 43 inthe body 3 5 leadinwardly from the space between the tub1ng and thecasing and thence upwardly vto the space between thesleeve 13 and theMeans of the character set forth'com- ``prising, in combination with awell casing, a How tube extending downwardly intothe casing, the jointbetween the top of the casing and flow tube bein-g closed, .means forinl troducing lfluid under pressure into the casing, and anassembly"connected to the lower thus described myinvention, what end ofthe iow tune and incorporating an injector involving a jet nozzledisposed axially of the tubing and a port leading from said nozzle tothe space between the tubing and the casing, a check valve involvingv atubular body applied to the lower end of the injector, and a tubularpacker 'connected to thev check valve body and engaging the well casingthereby to seal the. joint between the lower end' of said assembly andthe well casing.

2. Means of the character set forth com-A prising, in combination'with awelll casing, a iiow tube extending downwardly into the casing, thejoint between the top of the casing and flow tube being closed, meansfor introducing fluid under pressure into the casing, and an assemblyconnected to the lower end ofthe flow tube and'incorporating aninjector, a check valve governing communiprising, in combination, a wellcasi-ng, a flow tube extending downwardly into the well casing,`thejoint between the top of the casing and the flow tube being closed,meansfor introducing the fluid under pressure between the casing and owtube, and an assembly connected to the lower end of tliefflow tube andincluding an injector nozzle arranged axially of the flow tube andhaving its discharge end directed outwardly, a check valve within saidinjector disposed a substantial distance lbelow the delivery endthereof, a ported member providing a communication between the lower endof the well casing and the lo ver end of the flow tube, said meansyincluding a downwardly seating check valve.

In testimony whereof, I'hereunto aiiiX my signature.

. f JOHN A.

cation between the tubing and the bottom of the well, and a packer forclosing,the joint between the assembly and the well casing.

3. Means vof the character setforth com# prising,in combination with awell casing, a flow tube extending downwardly into the casing, the jointbetween the top of the casing and flow tube being closed, means forintroducing fluid under pressure into the casing, and an assemblyconnected to thelower end of the tube and involving a cylindrical body,an injector nozzle disposed centrally within said body, a check valvebelow said injector nozzleand governing communication between theinterior of the'body sur' rounding said Atube and the bottom of thewell, and a ported memberfcpnnecting the inj ector nozzle tothe tubularbody and through which communication is established between the nozzleand the space betweenl said body and the well casing, anda packer belowsaid check valve for sealing the Space between the body and the Wellcasing.

4. Means of the character set forth comprismg, in combination with awell casing, a

flow tube extending downwardly into the casing, the joint between the-top7 of the casing and iiow tube being closed, means for introducingVfluid under pressure into the casing, and an assembly connected to thelower end of the tube and involving a cylindrical body having a centralbore, a tube surmounting said body and communicating with said bore, acheck valve confined within the second mentioned tube for governing theflow i of liquid through the bore, a sleeve concentric with said tubeand through which the body 'is joined to the lower end of the iow tube,the body having ports that open at their outer ends into the spacebetween the bodyiand the well casing and at their inner ends into thespace between the second mentioned tube and sleeve, and apacker'connected to the lower end of said body for sealing the spacebetween the body anithe Well casing.

5. Means of the character described com-

